The Mac Family: Day 7: Downtown Disney, the Boutique and Boardwalk
Um, for a day “off” I really wrote a lot. I need an editor. Too bad I don’t know someone who edits textbooks for a living but is too lazy to edit his own writing . . .
Something I neglected to mention about the evening before. During the rain storm, I stopped off to talk to the concierge about where one would find some magic so I could slip it into Gert’s luggage. While waiting for the concierge a woman tapped me on the shoulder. “Are you here for the bodybuilder’s convention?”
I looked at her like she was speaking an alien language. I’ll admit that I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, but I still look more like the Pillsbury Doughboy than Mr. Universe. I’ve always been a big guy, but I don’t think I’ve ever been asked if I was a body builder. My wife disagrees and says I’m not the body by donut type anymore, but I have to respectfully disagree. A lot of Bavarian cream went into my portly physique for many years. I’m not going to let “weight loss” and “fitness” ruin all that work.
“Um,” I said, flexing my muscles, “no I’m not. But I do work out.” I turned and flexed my calves and struck a pose.
Actually, I laughed and said no. Turned out there was a convention for health club owners and there were a lot of very fit individuals wandering around.
When I woke up and looked over at the girls asleep in their bed, I had some worries about our plans for the day. They wanted to hit a water park before their 4 p.m. appointment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. But, judging by the fact that they looked like they were in a middle of a lost weekend, I was having doubts. I shared my doubts with my wife who assured me that, even though they looked like the living dead at the moment, the silky draw of a wave pool would wake them up.
So, off I went with our refillable mugs to go get some coffee. The Pepper Market folks glared at me as I was refilling my mugs. I think they were beginning to get suspicious of my coffee consumption. I heard the guy at the grill station say, “How can one human being drink that much coffee? Shouldn’t he be having heart seizures by now?”
If only they knew. I run a freelance publishing company from home. I never know, from day to day, what my hours will be. One moment I could be the chief financial officer of a small business arguing over past due invoices with an international publishing company and the next I’m applying a Band-Aid to a boo boo because my secretary fell off her bike. Sometimes I do both. So, yes, I drink a lot of coffee. In fact, it’s been said before, I may have died six years ago and the coffee is the only thing keeping me going.
I’m off track again, aren’t I?
Walking back to the room I was mistaken again for a member of the fitness crew. I guess two and a half years and 8,000 miles of cycling training have done some good. I think it’s time to convince my wife I need a second bike . . .
I kindly said “no” and that I was planning on eating my weight in pork sausage for breakfast. He seemed to understand and spread the word to the others that, while I look fit, I need a pork intervention.
When I arrived back in the room I found the girls still in bed and mom brushing her hair.
“Maybe we should revise our plans,” I said. “They look beat.”
“Who, these girls,” my wife asked. At that moment they kicked off the covers and leapt out of bed already in their suits. Little did we know this would be the most active thing they would do in the suits all day.
Shortly after breakfast, Matilda was setting up the stuffed animals in the window into some sort of bizarre tableau, just as she had done every morning. In this morning’s diorama, her new Monkey would be hanging from the curtain rod. From across the room I hear a yelp and see Matilda holding her back. She had wrenched it. And after days of sun, improper eating (see previous statements about sausage) and extreme exercise, her poor eleven year old muscles couldn’t handle it.
The water park was her big objective. So she wanted to try anyway. She took some Advil and we started for the bus. As we stood there, looking at the tears in her eyes, we knew this wasn’t to be. So we asked her to honestly tell us if she really thought she could jump and play in the water . . .
So we went to Downtown Disney instead. I’ll spare you the details of our wanderings because, well, no one wants to hear about shopping. However, it was during this trip that a plan to send something overseas to a certain INTERCOT staff member’s family and her husband was hatched. I only hope the U.S. Military doesn’t confiscate it when I get it out . . .
Here are some highlights:
- Gert hugging all the character statues and even kissing some.
- Matilda in her Pirate Princess get up, adding a patch and earrings.
- Bopping past the new Irish pub in PI with Gert riding on my back as the whole family sang along to The Pogues’ “Dirty Old Town.” Like I said, we’re a weird family, but when Gert was a baby and colicky, she would only get quiet on my left shoulder and if I were bouncing in a certain way. “Dirty Old Town” was one of the songs I’d play that I would bounce to that would clam her down. So it’s kind of a family thing. I’m not sure of The Pogues have ever had that distinction before.
- A hot dog wrapped in a pretzel.
- Gert attracting a flock of birds at Wetzel’s’ and her inviting them to join us on vacation.
When I had a moment alone, I called my friend Mike who works for Disney to find out about where he thought I could find some magic. He gave me some suggestions, some advice and some guidance. I also talked to every CM at World of Disney and the Boutique. I was starting to learn that this stuff is worth its weight in gold.
We hit DisneyQuest because the girls really wanted to do Sid’s Toy Works. And boy did they get some strange items. While we waited for the next Animation Academy we discovered the room filled with 80s arcade games. The girls were the ones who had to drag us away in time for Animation Academy.
A note about the elevator. Even the elevator at DisneyQuest has scary elements. It’s cool, but not for Gert. Finally, when the lights went out and the strobes started flashing we said, “Aw come on! Are you serious? Was it necessary to make a two floor elevator ride scary for kids?” It was at this point that we realized that scary could come at any moment. For all we knew, Cinderella was going to jump out of a dark alley and scare us later that night.
After a brief stop over at Ghirardelli for ice cream (I’ll spare you the description of that moment, but there was very little talking, a lot of grunting and pointing at food) it was time for the Boutique.
Gert sat on the floor staring at our pager and kept looking at me like I could speed up eternity. She would wriggle, thrash, roll and beg for it to be time. She was in agony. Then it went off and so did Gert. We corralled her energy and brought the girls inside for their makeover.
How can I describe this? Are there words? Imagine every little girl’s dream, combine it with the pride and thrill that a parent has when they see their child happy, mix in a little Disney magic and maybe, just maybe, you’ll have it. Honestly, I can’t describe this. The girls loved it. No, they LOVED it. Gert vibrated throughout the whole experience and had to be peeled from the ceiling.
Surprisingly, Matilda was even more excited. Matilda, who actually turns 12 today, was technically a little old for the experience. I say “technically” because, let’s be honest, my wife would have done this too. Though, at the end she looked like she was heading off to prom, the smile on her face was worth every moment leading up to it. She looked as if, for the first time, with two people doing her hair and make up she was finally getting the treatment she deserved.
With two happy, made over girls, we headed over to the Boardwalk for dinner. Big River Grille & Brew Works. For some Rocket Red Ale, of course. We ate way too much. Way too much. And the girls (including mom) all fell in love with the Boardwalk when I gave them a quick tour of my favorite stops. Though they really wanted to see Storm Along Bay across the lake. Sadly, the clouds started threatening so we headed back to CSR.
Coming Up Next: Our last day, Belle’s Story Time (again) and discussions of how long one could go without a shower because it would ruin the Boutique hair. Answer: Florida humidity makes that decision.
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Results 1 to 20 of 28
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reply With Quote
Matilda!
Originally Posted by dpamac
 Advertising Guest Relations |
 Discussion Boards Podcast Newsletter Shop |
 YouTube |
|
 |
PRIVACY STATEMENT /
DISCLAIMER |
DISCUSSION BOARD RULES © Since 1997 INTERCOT - a Levelbest Communications Website. This is not an official Disney website. |
>
 |
Share This Thread On Social Media: